Ancient Warfare Podcast

Épisodes

• 
  AW422 - The Battle of Gaugamela 14.08.2026 44min

  'After capturing the Mediterranean ports, and having been welcomed as a god in Egypt, Alexander turned east again, aiming to defeat Darius once and for all.' In this episode of the podcast, the Ancient Warfare Magazine team discuss issue 108, 'Alexander Ascendant: The Battle of Gaugamela'.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA421 - Did legionaries and auxiliaries have to bribe their way into the Roman army? 07.08.2026 11min

  The second part of Carlos' question from a few episodes ago: "Second, somewhere in an old issue of AWM I have read (but I cannot find it again) that, to become a legionary, recruits needed to buy their way, and that the required payment (bribe?) was lower if you joined the auxiliaries instead. This was surprising, because I also read about a signing bonus (viaticum) by the second century. The article I remember discussed a poor Roman citizen who joined the auxilia rather than the legions because it was cheaper. What do we know about these payments? If they existed, they would take away some of the arguments that the auxilia were not anymore attractive after the Constitutio Antoniniana because everybody was a citizen: poor citizens might simply not have been able to afford the legions."   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA420 - What were Roman walls for? 31.07.2026 11min

  Russ asks, "I don't know what it is called, but at a certain point ( or a certain number of points) in time, Rome decided to build walls to defend their empire. Most famous, of course, is Hadrian's Wall. But of course they are many more, such as the Antonine Wall, Walls of Lugo, Aurelian's Wall and Londinium Walls, to name a few. These walls were constructed differently and had different purposes. Anyway, were the Walls revolutionary? Or something else?"   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA419 - Who is the better general: Thrasybulus or Demosthenes (or Brasidas)? 24.07.2026 14min

  Jay asks "Murray, I really enjoyed your podcast about Demosthenes being one of the first generals to have a dedicated flank attack. I have always thought Demosthenes was criminally underrated among historians, because Thucydides writes about quite a few clever tactics of his. Likewise, I think Thrasybulus is another underrated commander as Athens' "last gasp" to preserve their democracy. Yet most casual history enthusiasts have probably never heard of either, while mainly focusing on Alcibiades and Pericles. If you could only pick one, which of the two do you think deserves more praise and recognition among historians?"   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA418 - What did legionaries drink on campaign? 17.07.2026 12min

  Dan asks "May I submit an awa for uncle Murray here? What did legionaries drink on campaign? Aside from the obvious water and wine. Did they have flavoured cordials or plain water? Did they start their day with a hot drink and end with something cold, like we drink coffee and beer? Do we know of water rations, and can we infer if the legions were particularly hydrated or not?"   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AW417 - The Evolution of Tactics 10.07.2026 54min

  How did tactics evolve in the ancient world? In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast, the team explores how battlefield tactics developed over time, from the rigid formations of early armies to the increasingly sophisticated methods employed by some of history's greatest commanders.  They discuss the factors that drove tactical innovation, the influence of new weapons and troop types, and whether ancient generals were truly revolutionary or simply adapted to changing circumstances.
• 
  AWA416 - What evidence is there for striped Egyptian headwear? 03.07.2026 8min

  A comment exchange on FB led to today's question. Commenting on a cover of an issue of Ancient Warfare Magazine, Michael asked, "I still don't know what evidence there is for the striped headwear. Is it a trope?" Jeffrey replied, "Now I am curious too. Maybe a topic for Ancient Warfare Answers Podcast to answer:" Ask, and you shall receive. Murray explores.
• 
  AWA415 - Why did the Romans completely abandon the spear in favour of the pilum? 26.06.2026 10min

  Seth tracked Murray down via Facebook Messenger and asked: "Hi Murray, really appreciate your AWA podcast, great short bursts of knowledge. One question that bugs me about legionaries. Why did the Romans completely abandon the spear in favour of the pilum? Does it function effectively as a thrusting weapon as well as a thrown weapon? If you have a space for a two-for, do you have time to talk about the comparative effectiveness of slings vs bows in the classical world? When did slings drop out of use in organised warfare? That's probably three, but you've made the mistake of being highly accessible and willing to take a crack at all sorts of topics." Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA414 - Did legionaries need to be 1.80 metres tall? 19.06.2026 14min

  Carlos writes: "Hi Murray, Even though I've been an AWM subscriber for long, I only recently started listening to the podcast. I love the AWA episodes, and the regular group podcasts too.   I have a two-part question for AWA. First, I have read in various places that there were certain requirements to be admitted as a legionary in the Army of the Principate. For example, I've read in a popular magazine (not AWM!) that legionaries needed to be at least 1.80 m tall. This sounds difficult to believe. I have also often read that all legionaries needed to be able to read and write. This sounds more believable as a declaration of intentions, but it seems unlikely that it could actually be enforced. What were the actual requirements, other than being a Roman citizen, in the Principate?"   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AW413 - Early Campaigns in Germania 12.06.2026 45min

  'When Germanic warbands crossed the Rhine in 17 BC, they set in motion a turbulent series of Roman campaigns into Germania that spanned three decades.' In this episode of the podcast, the team discusses AW107, Rome Crosses the Rhine: Early Campaigns in Germania.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA412 - Were Cretan archers better than other archers? 05.06.2026 11min

  Following on from Murray discussion of Athenian Archers in AWA 397, Tim asks "It would be interesting to hear of the effectiveness of the archers. In wargaming, Cretan archers are usually considered as better than other archers, similar to Belearic slingers. Was this actually true or just a wargaming tradition?" Murray investigates   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA411 - How did the Huns dress for war? 29.05.2026 13min

  Jack asks: "Hi Murray Do we have enough information to actually describe how the Huns were dressed for war? Did they look much the same as the Goths or other migration era peoples? Is it a misconception to think they looked anything like the later Mongols? Did they go in for bright or rich fabrics in their panoply, like other Warrior cultures? I've heard that they were keen to get their hands on silk fabric, did they then wear this into battle?   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA410 - What role and status did trumpeters have in warfare? 22.05.2026 11min

  Here is an AWA from Brie: "Besides communicating orders and psychological warfare, what role and status did trumpeters have in warfare? Did they have sidearms like musicians of early modern warfare? The Gallic carnyx is of particular interest to me in this regard." This is probably in regard to the exciting carnyx found in Thetford, Norfolk in early 2026, only the third found in Britain. With it were a boar standard and several shield bosses. Murray discusses them all.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA409 - What did the Constitutio Antoniniana mean for the Roman auxilia? 15.05.2026 11min

  Carlos, an economics professor (!), asks: Hi Murray,   I am a long-time AWM subscriber, born in Hispania, working in Britannia, and mostly living in Raetia. Love the podcast.   My question is this. With the Constitutio Antoniniana, all young men within the Imperium became citizens and could enlist in the legions instead of the auxilia. Hence, the auxilia presumably attracted less recruits. With Diocletian's reforms, whatever remained of the auxilia was absorbed into a fully new structure with limitanei, comitatenses, and auxilia palatina, the latter being elite. This suggests that the distinction between legions and auxilia might had become fuzzy at that point, else one could just have assigned the auxilia to the borders.   What do we know about the evolution of the auxilia from the Constitutio Antoniniana to Diocletian's reforms? Were they still around, with named units slowly vanishing for lack of recruits, or did they become something else by enlisting non-citizens? Did they become part of a wild mixture of units with all-barbarian numeri in the chaos of the third century and its many revolts? Surely, at the very least, Tacitus' old statement that auxiliaries and legionaries were roughly equal in number is no longer valid for the third century? Murray Investigates.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast    
• 
  AW408 - Why Germania? 08.05.2026 47min

  AW issue 107 on Augustus' German campaigns is in the last stages of preparation so the panel thought it would be a good idea to lay the ground work in preparation for next month's podcast on issue 107. So, tonight we're discussing 'Why Germany' and the opening up of the Rhine frontier as a place for future campaigns, from the Cimbri and Teutones and Caesar onwards down yo the time of Augustus.
• 
  AWA407 - War Pigs Revisited 01.05.2026 10min

  Following on from an earlier episode on War Pigs, Murray digs deeper into the imagery of pigs and boars in Roman military history.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA406 - What army did Alexander Molossus have in his Italian campaigns? 24.04.2026 14min

  tadejtomic1943 asks, "Hi Murray, what was the army composition. How many men did it have. Was that the first time the Macedonian Phalanx operated and fought in Italy?What was Alexander Molossus' ultimate goal in Italy? Thanks!" Murray goes on a deep dive to discover the answers.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA405 - We got a fan letter! 17.04.2026 9min

  James from California has taken the time to write a fan letter to Ancient Warfare Answers! This is much appreciated! Murray muses over James' letter (which was into response to the die is cast but, as always, leads down much more widespread paths.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AW404 - The Marian Reforms 10.04.2026 45min

  The Marian reforms are said to have transformed the Roman army from a citizen militia into a more professional fighting force, reshaping how Rome made war. In this episode, the Ancient Warfare Magazine team discuss the Marian reforms, what they actually were, and how far their impact has been understood or misunderstood.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  
• 
  AWA403 - Why does the Odyssey 2026 trailer feel wrong? 03.04.2026 14min

  John has been watching the trailer for the 2026 film 'The Odyssey', starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, and something does not sit right. The Trojan War is usually dated to the thirteenth or twelfth century BC, a period associated with Mycenaean or Achaean warfare and distinctive equipment, such as boar-tusk and horned helmets. This is the world shown in archaeological reconstructions and classic works such as Peter Connolly's The Ancient Greece of Odysseus. Yet in film and illustration, the warriors of Homer's epics are almost always dressed in the armour of much later centuries. Corinthian and Chalcidian helmets recur frequently, even though these types do not appear until hundreds of years after the traditional date of the Trojan War. The Odyssey trailer continues this trend, showing both Corinthian and open-faced Chalcidian helmets among Odysseus' men. So how did this confusion of periods become so entrenched in modern depictions of Homeric warfare? Why do artists and filmmakers consistently reach for the armour of Classical Greece rather than the material culture of the Late Bronze Age? Murray unpacks how this visual tradition developed and why it has proved so hard to shift.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast